Seeing the Green Bay Packers beat the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday wasn’t stunning. Aaron Rodgers and Co. were favored by 3.5 points even with Russell Wilson returning. What was a bit surprising was how truly dominant Joe Barry’s unit was.
This Packers’ defense is Super Bowl good.
Sunday marked just the fourth shutout in the NFL this season. Those games are few and far between, and not many people thought this Green Bay defense would be putting one up this year. Not only did they post a shutout, but they also did it against a pretty good offense.
Without Wilson in the lineup, the Seahawks did just well enough to stay afloat, going 1-2 in his absence. Geno Smith looked the part of a backup quarterback in his absence. In other words, he made some good plays but had many more lackluster moments that showed how valuable No. 3 is to the operation. Sunday was supposed to be the reemergence of a powerful Seahawks passing attack that features D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Instead, Barry’s defense flexed their muscles from start to finish.
Metcalf and Lockett were damn near invisible on Sunday at Lambeau Field. Metcalf had only three catches for 26 yards. Lockett was even worse, with two catches for 23 yards. For Metcalf, it was his lowest yardage total in any game this year. Lockett was tied for his fewest receptions in a game and the second-fewest yards he’s had all year.
Not only did the Packers’ defense take away the top passing option for Wilson, but they also took away the top two. And it wasn’t as though they contained or neutralized Metcalf and Lockett. It was a suffocating performance from the opening whistle — once again without All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander.
It might be time to stop bringing up Alexander’s absence because it’s provided a sort of backdoor escape in case the secondary falters. This secondary has been tasked with slowing down DeAndre Hopkins, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Metcalf, and Lockett in the last three weeks alone. And they’ve done so brilliantly. Hopefully, Alexander returns for the playoff run. But for now, it’s time to bask in the greatness that has been displayed by Eric Stokes, Rasul Douglas, and, yes, even Kevin King.
King is the most scrutinized of the bunch. Seemingly everybody has been waiting for him to have a lapse downfield that results in a big play. It hasn’t happened since he returned a couple of weeks back. On Sunday, he was in the spotlight after making a huge interception in the end zone, with Green Bay leading 3-0 in the second half. He’s not the only unlikely name to play a significant role.
De’Vondre Campbell has made his presence felt on this defense all year long. Sunday’s game was a perfect encapsulation of how even his quieter performances are so crucial to the defense’s success.
Campbell’s name wasn’t mentioned much on the broadcast Sunday. Interceptions by Adrian Amos and King provided the possession-swinging moments for the Green Bay defense. The three sacks from edge rushers Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, and Whitney Mercilus allowed that trio to step into the spotlight as well. Yet it was Campbell who led the team in tackles (again), had a tackle for loss, and even got a hit in on Wilson. All of it helped chip in towards the shutout.
It’s become evident that this isn’t just a trend for Green Bay’s defense. This is who they are.
Holding the Arizona Cardinals to 21 points and Kyler Murray to no touchdowns three weeks ago appeared to be an outlier performance for the defense. The following week was another road game, this time against the Kansas City Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes and the offense scored only 13 points in their win. At that stage, most thought the defense was good and that it was another step in the right direction.
Now, after shutting out the Seahawks in a huge game for Seattle, it can be safely assumed that this defense is here to stay. It doesn’t get much tougher than facing Murray, Mahomes, and Wilson three weeks in a row. Green Bay not only held their own on defense; they dictated the pace. It’s fair to expect that to be the case going forward.
Next up is a date with the Minnesota Vikings, who are coming off an impressive road win against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. Green Bay won’t have to face a mobile quarterback who can get it done with their legs for the first time in four games. It could provide an opportunity for Barry and the defense to tee off against Minnesota before they’re able to settle in.
For now, they can enjoy the shutout knowing these don’t come around too often in the NFL. This defense is championship-level great.
